Til Death Do Us Part
by Topazicatzbeth
Summary: Danny's attempt to play hero lands him in trouble. Pure whump not much plot. Sorry no team in this one. Just Danny, Steve and my OC's
1. Chapter 1

**Note: Hey, back with another one, didn't take me as long this time. It's only short though. Four chapters with alternate days posting. Not much plot just pure whump and no team I'm afraid.**

 **As always a massive thanks to wenwalke. With out her you would all be subjected to my horrible punctuation and English terms.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own H50. No copy right infringement intended. Just having some whump fun.**

 **'Til Death Do Us Part**

 **Chapter One**

"Grace, hurry up." Danny finished securing Charlie into his car seat while he waited for his daughter to finish loading her cheerleader kit into the trunk of the car. They were already running late for the school run, after Charlie had managed to spill his cereal all over the kitchen floor. Danny had forgotten how much mess young children could make, but he was sure getting used to it again now Charlie was sleeping over at his house, along with Grace.

"Ready Danno," Grace gave him a cheeky smile as she jumped into the passenger seat and clicked her seatbelt in place.

Danny started the car and pulled out of the drive, while Grace fiddled with the radio station. Her father wasn't the only one who disagreed with Steve's music choice. Three blocks away Grace suddenly spoke. "Danno, isn't that Mrs. Kepler?"

Danny looked over to the curb where an old lady was walking, she was still in her night dress, and was barefoot. It was in deed their elderly neighbour Mrs. Kepler. Danny knew that she had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. "Yeah it is." He said pulling the car over.

"We're gonna be late, Danno." Grace worried.

"Don't worry, I'll call the schools and explain. We need to take her home, jump in the back with Charlie." Grace immediately complied and, much to Charlie's delight, joined her brother in the back of the car.

Danny carefully approached the elderly woman, not wanting to startle her. "Hey, Mrs. Kepler."

Relief flooded the woman's face as she recognized a friendly face. "Oh Daniel, how nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you too. What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I... I don't know. I'm a little turned around dear."

"Don't worry, how about we get you home? Mr. Kepler is probably worried." Gently guiding the woman to his car Danny looked down sadly at her dirty feet.

Securing the seatbelt, Danny then pulled out his phone and made several calls to both schools, and then to Steve to let him know he would be late, before getting back in the car and heading back home.

As they pulled up outside their home Danny saw a frantic Mr. Kepler. "Oh Detective Williams, I can't find Evie, she's gone."

"Don't worry, she's safe." Danny pointed to the car and his precious cargo in the front seat.

"Oh, thank you, thank you. She's having more and more bad episodes. I woke up and she was gone." Mr. Kepler helped his wife out of the car, and embraced her.

"Bye dears." She waved to the two children in the back seat and Charlie shouted goodbye rather enthusiastically.

"Her feet look a little sore, but other than that she looks ok." Danny informed the concerned husband.

"Thank you, I'll take care of them." They watched as Mrs. Kepler wandered over to the flower bed by her front door and started tending to the weeds.

"Mr. Kepler, I don't want to interfere, but if she is getting worse, and you're having trouble coping?"

"Yes, I know. Thank you. I have an appointment next week with some home care nurses. They will sit with her and give me a break."

"That sounds good." Danny was relieved that they would both be getting the help they needed.

"Our son wanted me to put her in a home, said he would pay for it. But I couldn't do that to her. We've been married for 58 years. Slept in the same bed every night. She's my life, Detective Williams. I meant it when I took the vow 'til death do us part."

Danny smiled, the love between the couple had always shone brightly. He bid Mr. Kepler farewell and headed back to his car to complete the school run.

5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0

Danny closed the door to Charlie's room. His son had fallen asleep in the middle of his second story, and was out for the count. Grace was sat at the dining table finishing an essay for her history class. Moving into the kitchen Danny started clearing away the dishes, and wiping down the work tops. Finally, he tied a knot in the trash bag and removed it from the bin.

Grace looked up from her essay and smiled as Danny walked to the front door and unlocked it, exiting to dispose of the bag.

Danny walked down the drive, stopped at the trash can, and deposited the trash bag. Turning he stopped in his tracks as the smell of smoke tickled his nostrils. He scanned the surrounding area for signs of a fire, expecting a neighbour to be burning off some rubbish. The smell wasn't that of a BBQ.

Realising the smell was stronger to his right, he took a few more steps towards his neighbour's, the Kepler's house.

"Shit!" He exclaimed as he saw the telltale signs of smoke rising into the air, and the flicker of flames through the window.

"Grace, Grace!" He screamed as he surveyed the scene.

"Danno?" Grace was at the door in seconds, eyes wide, picking up on the scared tone in her father's voice.

"Call the fire department, the Kepler's house is on fire. Go get your brother, and go to the Aku's house." Danny knew that fires could jump from house to house, and he wasn't taking any chances. The Aku's lived across the street, and Charlie had made friends with their son, Akoni. They would make sure his children were safe and out of harm's way.

"Danno?" Grace screamed after her father as he headed towards the burning house.

"I need to make sure no one is in the house Grace. I'll be ok, I promise, now go call for help. Keep your brother safe."

Grace knew better than to disobey her father, so retreated inside the house to call 911. After that she ran to her brother's room and dragged the sleepy boy from his bed. Taking her cell phone with them she struggled to carry Charlie, who was in his PJs, and had no shoes on, across the road and up to the front door of the Aku's house. Setting Charlie down she started to bang on the door while looking back at the burning house. Her Danno was nowhere to be seen, the front door was wide open, and Grace knew her father had gone into the house. Tears pricked at her eyes, she knew that her father was brave, and it was his job to help people, but this wasn't what he normally did. She had overheard stories about fires from her pop, and how people had died trying to save loved ones. Her heart raced in her chest as the door was finally opened and Mr. Aku appeared.

"Fire." She managed to blurt out and point in the direction of the Kepler's home. "I called 911. Danno's gone to help."

Mr. Aku ushered the children inside to safety. Charlie had begun to cry, unsure of the situation, but picking up on his sisters behaviour. Mrs. Aku bent down and scooped the young boy up, whispering reassuring words into his ear.

Mr. Aku ran to alert the neighbours on the other side of the fire, then saw Mr. Kepler stood at the end of his driveway, so he ushered him away to safety.

Hands trembling, Grace opened her phone and dialed. It only rang twice before her uncle's familiar voice sounded.

"Hey Grace, isn't it getting close to your bedtime?"

"Uncle Steve. The house next door is on fire. Danno when to help."

Her uncle's tone was suddenly serious. "Grace, are you safe?"

"Yes. Danno sent Charlie and I across the road to the neighbours. Uncle Steve, Danno went into the house."

"Grace, I'm sure your dad knows what he's doing. I'm on my way. Is that the fire department I can hear?" Sirens wailed in the distance signaling help was on its way. Steve, while anxious for his best friend's safety, wanted to reassure his adoptive niece that all would be ok.

"Yes, they are nearly here now." Grace could see the flames flickering as the curtains at the windows caught fire. Neighbours had started to file out into the street, when a large explosion made everyone jump and take cover. Glass from the windows shattered and blew out, littering the garden with debris.

Grace screamed, terrified for her dad.

"Grace, I'm on my way. I'll be there soon." Steve called down the phone, unsure if Grace had heard him. The explosion had sounded through the phone, and Steve knew that didn't bode well for his friend.

 **TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: I'd like to say a big thank you to all the guest reviews that I can't reply personally to. Now let's see what Danny has been getting up to.**

 **Chapter Two**

Trusting Grace to follow his instructions, Danny ran across the lawn to his neighbour's house. Mr. Kepler's car was parked on the driveway. He knew the elderly couple spent every evening at home. With Mrs. Kepler's deteriorating health, she was best in a familiar environment. Danny then ran to the front door and carefully placed the back of his hand against it to feel how warm it was. Feeling it reasonably cool to the touch, he did the same thing to the door handle. While Danny had chosen to go into law enforcement, instead of following in his father's footsteps and joining the fire department, he had learnt a lot from his father over the years, and knew better than to just go running into a situation.

The front door handle was warm, but not too hot, so Danny attempted to open the door only to find it locked. Frustrated, he started pounding on the door, calling out the Kepler's names.

"Detective Williams?" A shocked voice called behind him.

Danny spun around to see Mr. Kepler looking at him, bemused, from the end of his driveway. In his arms he carried a brown paper bag full of groceries.

"Mr. Kepler, is Mrs. Kepler in the house?"

"Of course. She was sleeping so I ran to the grocery store. Oh my, is that fire? Oh god, Evie." Mr. Kepler dropped the grocery bag to the ground, milk and eggs spilling out and staining the pavement. "Evie!" He cried as he made an attempt to unlock the door, and enter the house.

Danny stood in the doorway, blocking Mr. Kepler. "Sir, I'll go get her. Please go wait at the bottom of the drive. Fire services are on the way."

Mr. Kepler's eyes widened as he saw his house a blaze. The kitchen was fully engulfed, and the fire had spread to the living room. The whole house seemed full of smoke.

"Mr. Kepler, please." Danny shouted. If he was going to try and find Mrs. Kepler, he didn't want to have to worry about her husband.

Mr. Kepler nodded and started to back away. Satisfied, Danny entered the burning house. Keeping low to avoid most of the thick smoke, Danny pulled his t-shirt over his mouth and headed to the kitchen where the fire had obviously started.

Danny could just make out a frying pan on the stove, the ceiling tiles were fully ablaze above his head. He took a few seconds to check the floor to make sure Mrs. Kepler wasn't there, and then headed to the bedrooms.

The smoke stung his eyes and they started to water as a persistent tickle settled in the back of his throat. He was thankful that the house had the same lay out as his, as the thick smoke made it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.

Making his way to the master bedroom took some time, but he finally made it. Again, checking the door, he was grateful that he had made it away from the intense heat of the raging fire. This part of the house was untouched by the flames, but the smoke was in every nook and cranny of the house.

He paused for a second, as the tickle finally became a full blown hack. The heroic detective pushed on with his search. When he reached the bed he found Mrs. Kepler under the bedcovers. He didn't take the time to check if she was alive, or dead, he just scooped up the elderly woman, wanting to return her to her husband either way.

Now, unable to cover his mouth, or stay low, Danny moved as fast as he could, back through the house. The roar of the fire was deafening, and the heat seemed to have intensified in the few minutes he had been out of the area. A faint light from the open door lit up the way to the exit. So Danny headed towards it. When he was halfway across the living area there was an explosion from the kitchen, throwing Danny and a limp Mrs. Kepler to the floor. Danny quickly shuffled to lay over her, to protect her from the falling debris. Pain flared across his back as a burning piece of ceiling fell and set his t-shirt alight.

" _Down and roll, Danny boy_." His father's words echoed in his ears. " _Best way to put out a fire."_

Following his father's advice, he rolled off of Mrs. Kepler and onto his back, relieved when the flames extinguished. Left panting and struggling to catch his breath, Danny could finally hear the wails of the fire engines arriving. With one finally burst of energy, Danny heaved himself off the floor and picked up Mrs. Kepler again. Finally, making it to the door he staggered through it as the fire engine rolled in, along with an ambulance. The crew jumped out to meet him, and relieve him of his precious load.

The fresh night air hit his lungs, and he gulped it in greedily, only for his lungs to seize causing him to double over as he struggled to suck in air between coughing jags.

His vision began to dim, when suddenly a large dark mask was pushed over his face, and two hands held him up. Realising it was a fireman's mask covering his face, his initial reaction was to panic, his face was surrounded, and his claustrophobia kicked in. Then the oxygen started to flow, and the relief of air in his lungs outweighed his need to panic. As his legs gave way he felt himself supported by a fireman on each side, quickly moving him away from the burning house, and to safety.

5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0

Steve could see the smoke rising into the air from a few blocks away. The closer he got to his friend's house the faster his heart raced. As he turned into his partner's street his path was blocked by two fire trucks. He pulled over his truck as an ambulance raced from the scene, and he wondered if it contained his partner. Steve paused for a second before realising that his priority was the kids. Making his way closer to the house, he saw it was now fully engulfed in flames. The fire fighters doing their best to extinguish the flames with their hoses.

Grace had said she was across the road with a neighbour, so he turned in search of the house, and gasped in relief. Sat in the middle of the neighbours lawn was Danny. His t-shirt and shorts were covered in soot, a blanket carefully placed over his shoulders. His eyes were red, tracks of water running down his cheek from where a fireman had attempted to flush his eyes. Said fireman was crouched by his left side, holding his mask for Danny to receive oxygen from. But it was the two children clinging to Danny's right side that tore at Steve's heart. Danny was doing his best to reassure the upset children, squeezing Grace's hand, while stroking Charlie's hair, but he was obviously having to put a lot of energy into just breathing.

"Danno, thank god." Steve crouched down in front of his friend to get a better look, then introduced himself to the fireman. "Grace, Charlie. You ok?"

Grace nodded, but Charlie buried himself deeper into his father's heaving chest. He was still a little unsure of Steve and the rest of the team.

"Uncle Steve, Danno was a real hero. He pulled Mrs. Kepler from the fire. He saved her." Grace practically bounced with pride.

Looking to the fireman Steve asked. "Can I get a sit rep?"

"Your guy here did our job for us. He managed to pull the old lady from the fire. She's been taken to the hospital in critical condition."

"And Danny?" Steve could tell from his partner's face he was struggling.

"We have a second ambulance on route. He inhaled a lot of smoke, and has burns to his back."

"Burns." Steve repeated while attempting to remove the blanket to see.

Danny immediately pulled away and pushed the mask away. "Steven. Not here." He managed to force out before being overcome by a coughing fit. His voice was weak and gravelly.

Steve realised that Danny didn't want the kids to see, so he backed off. "Sorry Danno." Looking to the fireman he asked, "do we know what started the fire?"

"Not yet sir, once the fire is out and cooled down our investigators will go in."

"I'd like a copy of their report."

"Of course, Commander." The fireman signaled to an ambulance that had just arrived. Steve turned to see Ani and Jonah, the EMTs running over to them.

Briefed by the fire crew they started checking Danny over. Steve moved Grace away and started to pick up Charlie to move him away, but the young boy started to fight him.

"No, Danno. I want, Danno."

The fireman removed the mask, and Jonah was about to place an oxygen mask over Danny's face when the blonde man stopped him. "Charlie... Char... I need you to go... (cough) go to Uncle Steve. Please bud, (cough) for me."

Charlie nodded and stepped away, joining his sister by Steve's side.

Jonah placed the mask over Danny's face, and Steve didn't miss the fact that he turned it up full. Ani had placed a saturation probe on his friend's index finger, and it was giving a read out of 78%, far too low for the usually healthy detective.

Ani then assessed the rest of Danny's vitals and started listening to Danny's chest, frowning at the obvious wheeze that had set in. Jonah carefully peeled back the blanket and assessed the damage done to their friend's back, then placed a dressing over the burns. "We have some second degree burns here Ani."

"That's the least of his problems." She replied looking Danny in the eye, "straight up. Your chest sounds bad, Danny. We need to get you to the hospital straight away."

Danny tried to object, pointing to both Charlie and Grace.

Mrs. Aku's had been standing close by, so stepped forward. "Danny, we will look after the kids. That way the Commander can go with you. We can call your ex-wife to come and collect them."

Danny thought it over for a few seconds then nodded. His chest was burning and seemed to get tighter with every breath. The tickle in the back of his throat and moved way past annoying, and was now painful. He knew he was in trouble. He'd done what he could to limit his exposure, but it hadn't been enough. His father had told him many stories of people making it out of fires, only to die later. " _it's not the fire that kills you, Danny son. It's the damn smoke."_

Mrs. Aku saw the nod and quickly ushered the two children away. As a children's nurse she knew the danger Danny was in, and knew when someone was circling the drain. Danny's colour was only getting worse, and the children didn't need to see their father like that.

As soon as they were inside, Ani and Jonah wasted no time getting Danny on a stretcher and into the ambulance. As Steve jumped in the back to join them, no one took notice of the fire crew as they entered the house to make sure the fire was fully out.

 **TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: Glad you are enjoying the story. A special shout out to wenwalke today. Hope all went well and you are on the good stuff. Lol.**

 **Chapter Three**

Steve's initial relief at seeing his friend alive was quickly disappearing. The light in the ambulance showed just how poor Danny's colour was, and how hard he was having to work to get air in. The fact that Ani had moved the ambu bag closer, before inserting an IV, wasn't missed by Steve. His partner's condition was rapidly deteriorating. Danny's eyes were half lidded, his sole focus on drawing in air. Steve reached forward and placed his hand on Danny's forearm just below the IV, hoping to reassure his friend.

The ambulance came to an abrupt halt, and before Steve knew what was happening Danny was being whisked away, and he had to hurry to follow.

Ani briefed Dr. Pearce on the run, "Danny decided to change profession and become a fireman. He has severe smoke inhalation, soot visible at the nostrils, and back of the throat. Saturations initially 78%, only increased to 82% on 100% oxygen. Reps are 42. Voice hoarse, and a defined wheeze. Conscious level decreasing."

"Ok, we need a chest X-Ray. Get a Foley in, and a full set of bloods. ABG's, and a carbon monoxide level. Set me up for an intubation tray, and call for a vent." Dr. Pearce ordered. "Danny, Danny, can you hear me?" As she checked his pupil response, Danny attempted to pull away from the bright light, but didn't acknowledge her words.

Unsure if Danny could hear her she decided to explain what was happening, knowing Steve was hovering in the background, it would benefit him too. "Ok Danny, your airway has been damaged by the smoke and is starting to swell. I'm going to put a tube down your throat to help with your breathing. I'm going to send you off to sleep for a bit while we get your breathing better. Don't worry, you're in good hands."

Steve appreciated the explanation, he couldn't see much of his friend for the flurry of activity around him. Only his head was visible, and he was able to watch as Dr. Pearce ordered the sedation and gently tipped back his friend's head. Danny's eyes slid fully closed as he succumbed to the drugs. Dr. Pearce skillfully slide the tube down Danny's throat and checked its position, seconds later Danny was connected to the ventilator and Dr. Pearce was headed Steve's way.

"Steve, are you hurt? Do you need checking over?" Dr. Pearce wrongly assumed they had been on a case.

"No, I'm fine. It was all over by the time I got there. Grace called me and told me Danny had gone into the fire after his neighbour."

"Neighbour? The old lady?"

"Yeah, was she brought here? How's she doing?"

Dr. Pearce shook her head. "I'm sorry, Steve. She was dead on arrival. She barely had a pulse when the EMT's got to her, and there was no respiratory output. She flat lined on the way, and we couldn't get her back."

"Damn." Steve ran his fingers through his hair. Danny had risked his life to try and save her, and it was all for nothing.

"Steve, why don't you go sit in the waiting room. I need to do more tests on Danny and get him stabilized. The ventilator will help with his breathing, and his oxygen levels are starting to improve. We need to check out that burn and clean him up, and we will flush his eyes some more. Then we will move him to the ICU. I'll clear it for you to be able to stay with him once he's settled."

"Is he going to be ok?" Looking at his best friend he was relieved to see the steady rise and fall of his chest, a stark contrast to ten minutes before.

"I'll know more when we get the test results, hopefully he will just need some support while his lungs and throat heal."

"Ok, take care of him, doc." With one last look back at his friend Steve left the trauma room, pulling out his phone as he went. Grace would be desperate for an update, and the rest of the team needed informing.

5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0

"Here, you should drink this." Dr. Pearce handed Steve a cup of coffee. It was the middle of the night now and Steve had been allowed to join Danny in the ICU two hours earlier. He'd been sat by his friend's side ever since. The nursing staff had carefully cleaned Danny up, his skin was now clean, but there was still a vague smell of smoke in the air.

While waiting for an update, Steve had rung an upset Grace who had just been collected by her mother. He sugarcoated it a little, telling her her dad was needing some help with his breathing because of the smoke, and would need to stay in hospital for a few days, but he would keep her informed. After that he had fully briefed Rachel on the seriousness of Danny's condition. He then set about calling each member of the team, filling them in, and then having to work hard to persuade them not to race down there. Dr. Pearce was going to clear it for him to stay with Danny, but the others wouldn't be able to see him just yet. Kono had been the hardest to persuade, adamant that she would wait in the waiting room. She had only agreed to stay at home when Steve had said she could come sit with Danny while he got some rest the next day.

"Thanks." Steve took the coffee and smiled at the female doctor. "How's he doing?"

"All things considered, he is doing ok. His carbon monoxide levels are much better, and his oxygen levels are stable. We haven't found any toxins in his blood from the smoke, and I've got him on antibiotic to help stave off any infections."

"What about the burn to his back?"

"It's second degree. It will take time, but should heal just fine. The antibiotics for his chest should make sure the burn doesn't get infected." Dr. Pearce explained.

"How long will he need the vent?"

"Hopefully only a day or so. We will do regular X-Ray's and check his oxygen levels, but I don't want to rush it. If I remove the tube and he struggles, getting another tube down could be difficult. I don't want to have to trac him if I don't have to." Dr. Pearce walked to the back of the room and pulled over a spare high backed chair. The nursing staff had already provided Steve with one, in the hopes he would attempt to get some rest. "I just finished my shift, but I thought I'd stay the night and keep you company."

"You don't have to do th…" Steve was cut off.

"Steve, I consider you all friends. Danny especially. I want to stay." Kicking her shoes off Dr. Pearce settled in for the long haul, resting her head back, and closing her eyes.

Grateful for the company, Steve decided not to argue. He had to admit he always felt better when she was around, knowing she had his partner's back. Danny was sedated and appeared settled. Surrounded by monitors and wires, the medical team were closely monitoring every bodily function. Fluids and pain relief were being provided via the IV in his right arm, the sedation through another in his left. An arterial line had been sighted in his right wrist to allow them to regularly take arterial blood gases without the need to stab him each time. As much as Steve hated the sound of the ventilator, the click and whoosh was much preferred to the horrible wheeze, and coughing, that had been present in the ambulance.

Deciding to follow in Dr. Pearce's footsteps, Steve settled back in the chair and also closed his eyes.

 **TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Note:- well time to bring this to an end. Thanks for all the support and again to wenwalke for her help.**

 **Chapter Four**

Steve closed the fire report and set it aside, it had made sad reading. Chin had dropped it off that morning, along with further sad news. Danny had spent two days on the ventilator, and only an hour ago Dr. Pearce had removed it. Humidified oxygen now flowed through the mask covering the blonde man's face. Steve could tell the last of the sedation was leaving Danny's system by the subtle jerky movements in his fingers.

Minutes later he was rewarded by a pair of sleepy eyes, slowly blinking open.

"Danno, hey."

The use of the nickname used by his children, brought them to the forefront of his hazy mind. Danny immediately started to try and remove the mask, "Grace? Charlie?" His voice was hoarse, and talking set off a bout of coughing, finally easing after he managed to bring up a thick glob of soot stained mucus.

"Easy, easy." Steve helped support Danny and placed the mask back over his face. "That needs to stay on. The kids are fine, they're with Rachel. Just take it easy, you inhaled a lot of smoke."

Eyes watering, Danny nodded in understanding and Steve helped ease him back into the pillows just as Dr. Pearce, and the nurse, arrived to check their patient over. Twenty minutes later they retreated. On her way out Dr. Pearce stopped by Steve's side, "he's doing good. The oxygen needs to stay on, and don't let him talk too much."

"You realise you are talking about Danny, right?"

"Yeah, I know. Mission impossible, but at least try." She patted him on the shoulder and left.

"It's good to have you awake, you've had us all worried." Steve took the seat by his friend's side.

"Sorry." Danny's voice was weak and gravelly. Steve helped him with some ice chips, and couldn't help smile at the noises his friend made as the cool liquid soothed his sore throat.

"It's fine, the main thing is you're going to be ok. Doc said not too much talking, ok?"

Danny nodded, he didn't plan on going against doctor's orders. The coughing fit had hurt like hell, and the stuff he had coughed up was disgusting. He had no wish to go through that again. Little did he know that the physiotherapist was scheduled to visit later that day to start exercises to help clear his lungs, which would of course mean coughing up more mucus. However, he was desperate for an update on Mrs. Kepler so decided to risk a whisper.

"Mrs. Kepler?"

Steve sighed, he had hoped to have a little longer before having to let Danny know her sad fate, he should have known better though. Danny had run into a burning house in an attempt to save his elderly neighbour. Of course he would want to know how she was.

"Danny, I'm sorry man. You did a really good job getting her out of there, but she didn't make it. She inhaled too much smoke before you got to her."

"Damn." Danny exhaled and set off another bout of coughing. When the attack finished his eyes were watering, Steve was unsure if it was from the coughing, or the news of his neighbours fate.

"Do..."

"Danny, easy on the talking buddy. You want to know what happened?"

Nodding, Danny focused on his breathing, and waited for Steve to fill him in. "I just got the fire report this morning. They interviewed Mr. Kepler that night. Putting his statement and what they saw in the house together, it seems like Mrs. Kepler started the fire by accident."

"Frying pan?" Danny remembered seeing it on the stove in the kitchen.

"Yeah. Apparently Mr. Kepler asked her what she wanted for breakfast, and she wanted pancakes. When she went to bed he decided to slip out to the store to get some maple syrup, and more eggs and milk. She must have awoken while he was gone, thought it was morning, and started on the pancakes. She then probably became more lucid and realised it was still night, and went back to bed. She must have forgotten about the pan. It caught fire and spread to a dish towel. The bottle of oil was left out, which heated up and exploded, setting the rest of the kitchen alight."

Danny kept his voice low, not wanting to set off another coughing fit. "She had Alzheimer's, he was getting a sitting service next week." Taking a few deep breaths, he continued, "they were so in love, Mr. Kepler must be devastated."

Steve worried his next piece of news might push his partner too far, but he needed to know. "Danny, Mr. Kepler went to stay with his son. He found him dead this morning. He died in his sleep."

"What?" This time Steve knew the tears in Danny's eye were from grief.

"They still need to do an autopsy, but it looked like natural causes."

"A broken heart." Danny replied. "He died from a broken heart. He told me, 'til death do us part."

"Danny, I'm sorry man, I know you liked them. You did everything you could to save her." Steve was worried Danny would blame himself.

Danny nodded, he knew Steve was right. He couldn't have done any more. The house was full of smoke by the time he entered, the damage was probably already done. Still he felt sad for the loss of such a devoted couple.

"You should try and get some rest now, D. Enough talking for a while. Doc will throw me out otherwise." Danny nodded again and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the tear that ran down his cheeks. He didn't bother to open them when he felt Steve take his hand and give it a quick squeeze. Instead he just gave a quick squeeze back, grateful for his friend's support, and concentrated on his breathing.

5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0

Steve glanced over at his friend in the passenger seat of the car. "You sure about this, Danno? You know you can come stay at my house for as long as you need."

"Yes I'm sure, Steve. I appreciate the offer but I want to go home, sleep in my own bed. I have to see the house sometime, might as well get it out of the way." Seeing Steve's worried look, he added. "I'm good Steve. I did everything I could. They're gone, but they are together now, I've made my peace with it."

"Ok, but I'm gonna hang around for a bit."

"Wouldn't expect anything else." Danny smiled at his friend who had been a constant companion throughout his hospital stay.

Finally released from hospital with a bag full of prescription meds. Antibiotics, and inhalers, for his chest, creams, and dressings, for his burns. Danny would be off work for at least a week before being allowed to return to desk duty. Now he was keen to get home, Rachel was bringing the kids over to visit later that evening, and he was looking forward to seeing them. Grace had been permitted to visit Danny, once he had been moved from the ICU, but they had decided it would be best if Charlie waited until Danny was discharged.

Steve pulled into Danny's driveway and turned off the engine. Danny got out and slowly walked closer to his neighbour's burnt out property. Several bunches of flowers lay on the doorstep, as a sign of respect, and Danny let out a long, deep, sigh.

Steve joined his friend, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You ok?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm good. It's nice of the neighbour's. Let's go inside, I'm starving, hospital food sucks. Do I even have any unspoiled food in the house?"

"Do you have food? Danny, you have enough food to last you a month. When I called round yesterday to get your clothes, Mrs. Aku asked how you were doing. Fifteen minutes later, her and four other neighbour's, were at the door with loads of cooked meals and baked goods. You're the neighbourhood hero in their eyes."

Now inside the house Danny admired the basket of muffins on the work top. He took one and retreated to his living room, sank down onto his couch, and moved around to get comfy. The skin on his back still tight from the healing burns. A small tickle played at the back of his throat, and he raised his hand to his mouth to cough and clear it.

"You need your inhaler?"

"No. It's just a small cough, Steve. I'm good, really."

Steve decided to let it go. He put Danny's bags away then went into the kitchen to make them both a coffee. Snagging a muffin for himself, he joined his best friend.

"Hey, I thought they were for the hero?"

"Well you do call me super SEAL. Doesn't that mean I'm a hero too? I figured they were fair game."

"Fair game? You know? We might as well be married cos you certainly have the, what's yours is mine bit down." Banter starting to flow, Danny felt much better.

"For better or worse Danno, but let's skip the 'til death do us part bit." Steve placed the coffees down, and made himself at home.

"Deal." Danny agreed before taking a bite of his chocolatey delight, and feeling much better now he was home.

 **THE END**


End file.
